Lesson In Life
by PlayerWithWords
Summary: Tenten tricks Naruto into going to her home alone, purely to just spend some time with him, but when things take an unexpected turn...?


Disclaimer: I don't own 'Naruto!'

* * *

"Naruto-kun!" Tenten grinned,opening the door.

"Tenten-chan!" Naruto cried out, giving her a casual hug before stepping into her home.

Tenten tensed under his touch. Not like he noticed. Naruto was quite oblivious to everything around him, even the obvious love Tenten had for him.

"So I'm the only one here today? The others were too busy, huh? They must be lying," he huffed as he poked his head in the different doors.

They were supposed to do a project today, but Tenten had done something in secret. She had called Naruto first, decided on a date for him to come to her house, and promised him that she'd call the rest of their group members.

Of course, she was notorious for not keeping to her promises.

"Y-yeah..." Tenten didn't dare turn. What if he saw that blush on her face? Sure, he was stupid, but what if he suddenly turned smart and found out about her feelings.

Yeah right, like that would ever happen.

Even though that was what she wanted most.

How long has she been pining for him? How long has she spent sleepless nights with only his face in her mind? How long has she been jealous of Sakura because she was able to be his teammate, to be so close to him? How long has it been, since she loved him? She loved him so much, it hurt. She would cry herself to sleep after Naruto oh-so-carelessly ignored her feelings. She loved him so much. How would she be able to make him see that?

"Tenten-chan!" Naruto's voice jolted her out of her thoughts.

Tenten turned around, a relaxed smile on her face, her previous thoughts left no trace on her face. "Something wrong?"

Naruto pointed at her calendar on the wall beside him. "You circled today's date with a heart. Why?"

Tenten blushed, but she could not help chuckling at the same time. "You don't know?" She snickered again, earning a cute huff from Naruto. "Well, it's Valentine's Day. A day for people to express their love. Whether it be to co-workers, friends, family members or lovers." Tenten gave a 100-watt smile.

Naruto paused for a moment, seeming almost thoughtful. Tenten cocked her head. What was he thinking?

"Tenten, what do people do during Valentine's Day?"

She smiled. She did that a lot when he was around. "Let's go sit down. There's quite a lot to talk about."

She led him into the living room, gesturing towards the sofa. He immediately plopped down on the couch, very much at home. Tenten gracefully seated herself on the couch.

"Valentine's Day... You really don't know anything about it?" Tenten asked, raising a brow, doubt evident in her voice.

"I-" Naruto hardly finished his first word before he stopped. He gave Tenten a quick glance, then dropped his head. "I... Nobody told me about it. I've never celebrated it before..." Naruto's voice cracked. Tenten could see a shimmer beneath the hair covering his face.

She bit her lip, immediately regretting her words. How could she have not understood? She learned about Valentine's Day through her family members, so did everyone else. Naruto, on the other hand... didn't have any. This was a festival of love. Naruto, who had been so deprived of that privilege that rest of them took for granted, obviously did not know nor understand it. She was _such_an idiot!

There was silence for a moment as Tenten contemplated her next actions.

"You know Naruto," Tenten began in a soft, soothing voice. "During Valentine's Day, people express their love by holding hands. Like this." She gently intertwined her own fingers with his, sending a jolt down his body.

"They also like to give gifts to their loved ones during Valentine's, but if they don't have a gift, love is enough."

She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him. She squeezed him tightly. Naruto's whole body jumped, but he didn't move away.

Tenten pulled back, keeping her hands at her lap. Naruto looked up, gazing right into her eyes. This was so different. Naruto was being serious. She herself was being serious. The mood was different. But there was a happiness inside of her. Naruto did not reject her. It gave her hope.

She stared back into his eyes, a soft smile gracing her lips. He was wearing a curious expression, drastically different from the one he used just now to glance at her.

Then it hit her.

Naruto, before, had given her a look of such intense pain and hurt, she could barely register it. When he glanced at her, there was such a torturous look in his eyes...  
Now, though, now, he looked at her with probably the same expression she was looking at him. Hope, happiness, and... Dare she say it?

Love.

"There's one more thing people do on Valentine's day…" She whispered, leaning closer.

She could feel Naruto's breath speeding, but it felt friendly on her face. She could feel her own heart thumping faster and louder than ever. Naruto… Was he feeling the same as her?  
"Lovers kiss."

Before Naruto could react, she leaned forward and touched Naruto's lips with hers. It was a soft brush, innocent and pure.

After a few seconds, she hurriedly pulled back, her cheeks red beyond belief.

She glanced up through her eyelashes, afraid to see his reaction. However, his reaction…

Only made her heart thump faster.

He had this rare yet handsome smirk on his face. "I'm sure then," he said, slightly cocky, "they do things like this too?"

He speedily captured Tenten's lips with his own. Tenten's eyes widened, but she couldn't push him away. She couldn't believe it. Her dream was coming true. She relaxed into the kiss. It was sweet and innocent, no tongue, no saliva, just a pure touch of the lips and an exchange of feelings.

Naruto pulled back, cupping Tenten's face in his hands.

"Tenten… I never really knew why I found you so special. I never knew why I felt _something _towards you. I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't know how to express it. Now, I get it."

He took a deep breath.

She couldn't believe her own ears. Was she dreaming?

"Tenten, I love you. I really do. Though I would like to marry you right away, I'll just settle for this:  
Will you go out with me?"

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she said next.

* * *

I decided to give this pairing a shot. A one-shot to be exact (making a stupid pun) 'Twas fun to write! Hope you liked it! Would love some reviews! Rather, constructive feedback!


End file.
